Obtunding apparatus.



No.l 8234.594.

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OBTUNDINQ APPARATUS. nrmonlox rum) 11m17.100s.

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" @Za/M@ `PATENTEDCCT.'30,190.6. v

ffii/mi??? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CRITTENDEN VAN WYCK, OF SA FRANCISCO, CALIFCRNIA.

OBTUNDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906'.

Application nea May 7, 1'906. seria No. 315,540.

' To all. whom it may concern:

V uid-containing reservoir to contain ether or other suitablevanesthetic under pressure, an ejector, and fluid connections between theejectorand reservoir and between the ejector and a source of air-supply.under pressure,

whereby a finely-atomized spray of the anesthetic may be directed uponthe part to be treated.

The particular purpose of my invention is to reduce expense ofmanufacture and installation in connection with such an apparatus and toprovide an apparatus which shall take up a mmimum amount of room when inuse, which apparatus will not interfere with the work of the operatorand which will have means for adjustably supporting the nozzle inoperative position on the chair.

It has other objects and advantages which will be apparent from a morecomplete description of the apparatus and its method of operation.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and thecombination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aview showing the application of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the reservoir-top. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the ventsin same and plug, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the holder.

A represents a tank or equivalent source of compressed-air supply.

2 is a container or reservoir for the anesthetic, and 3 is the ejectorfor spraying the anesthetic on the tooth or other part to be treated. v

The reservoir and ejector are both 1prefer ably supported on the chair4, as here shown, for the reason to be pointed out later.

The reservoir 2 ,while it maybe of any suitable size, shape, ormaterial, is preferably in the form of a small glass jar having asuitable metal sealed top and adapted to contain a eye in the plug 5.

' supply of ether or other anesthetizing, agent sufficient for one ormore operations. The

advantage of having this container of glass is that it enables theoperator always to see just how much liquid there is in the jar and sobe sure that he has enough to last him through the operation.

The top of the jar has a filling-opening into which screws a metal plug5, which is provided with annular packing 6 to close over the smallair-vent openings 7. The latter are provided for the purpose of allowingthe air to escape when a funnel is inserted into the filling-opening ofthe top to ill the reservoir. When the plug 5 is screwed down, it notonly closes the filling-opening, but also closes the vents 7, so as torender the reservoir air-tight. A short chain 8 is attached to an Thischain carries a hook 9, by which the jar can be hung on the back of thehead-rest or other suitabley support convenient to the head of thepatient.

The top of thejar has an air-inlet port 1()v and a liquid-pipe 11. Theport 10 isconnected through the short pipe-section 12 and the flexibletube 13 with the air-tank A.

A three-way cock 14, carried by the jar-top is adapted to regulate theadmission of air into the top of the jar for the purpose ofcreatingpressure on the top of the liquid to force the latter outthrough the pipe 11 and also to regulate the amount of air passingthrough a port 15 and a flexible tube 16 to thejaw, this three-way cockbeing arranged, preferably, to control 'simultaneously the passage ofair into the reservoir and the passage of air to the ejector.

The ejector preferably comprises two parallel tubes a b, respectivelyconnected with the air-tube 16 and an ether-tube 17 which latter issuitably connected with the outletpipe 11. Y

The outlet-pipe 11 extends down into the liquid nearly to the bottom ofthe jar and is provided with a cock 18. The tubes a Z), which haverespective controlling-cocks 19 20, are joined to one another, so thatthe jet of liquid passing through b may be met by a current of airpassing through a and dischar ed in the form of a fine spray throughnozz e c. The parts a b c and their controlling-valves are herein spokenof collectively as the ejector.

Any suitable means may be employed to support this ejector with respectto ^a patients mouth. In a former patent I have IOO IIO

shown means by which the same may be supported on the head of a patient.While this is advantageous in some respects there are certain reasonswhy it is better to have the ejector supported entirely independent ofboth the patient and the operator, and therefore I have here shown theejector as supported on the head-rest or other convenient part of thechair. This support is here represented as comprising a removable clampmember 21 and the articulated adjustable members 22 23 24 25. Themembers 22 23 24 are in the form of short links having suitableadjustable ball-and-socket connections which permit them to turn in agreat variety of ways, so as to bring the holding member 25 around intoproper position with respect to kthe patients mouth, and enable theejector to be held in the desired fashion.

The holder 25 consists of a spring-clip adjustably pivoted to the arm 24and is adapted to embrace and hold rigidly the ejector. The part 25 isindependently adjustable, so that the ejector may be pointed either upor down, according as it is desired to work on the upper or lower teeth.The lateral adjustment of the drill afforded by the swiveled movementsof the parts 22 23 24 allow the spray to be directed and to bemaintained upon any given tooth and from any position. This means ofholding the ejector independent of both patient and operator allows theoperator the entire and free use of his hands and enables him to soposition the ejector as not to interfere with the free movements in alldirections of the drill-point. The importance of this in dentaloperations is very great.

rubber tubing is effected. Making the jar of glass enables the operatorto see at a glance whether he has liquid enough for an operation. Byusing a three-way air-cock, as 14, the control of air both to theether-reservoir and to the ejector is controlled by a single movement ofthe hand in one direction or the other.

The support of the ejector independent of both the operator and thepatient is relieving to both and permits of the most delicateworkmanship on the part of the operator. Also it enables the drill-pointto be changed or for the operator to turn from the tooth under operationand give his attention elsewhere for a few minutes without necessarilyremoving the spray from the tooth, and so allow the latter to return toits normal sensitive temperature, as it is certain to occur where theejector is supported on the headpiece.

The articulated supporting-arm comprising the members 22 23 24 isquickly taken off or put on the chair, and this arm, together with theswiveled holder 25, has such a wide range of adjustment as to permit theejector to be inserted into the mouth or positioned with respect to themouth to direct the spray in any desired direction.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Iatent, is-

l. In obtunding apparatus, the combination with a chair, of an ejector,means for adjustably supporting the ejector on the chair with respect tothe patients mouth, and suitable connections with the ejector for theanesthetizing agent.

2. In obtunding apparatus, the combination with a chair, of an ejector,means for adjustably supporting the ejector on the chair with respect tothe patients mouth, and sui table connections between the ejector andthe anesthetizing agent, said ejector-supporting means comprising anadjustable articulated removable arm..

3. In obtunding apparatus, the combination with a chair, of an ejector,means for supporting the ejector directly on the chair, a reservoir forthe anesthetic supported on the chair, connections between saidreservoir and the ejector, connections with said reservoir for asuitable source of air-supply, and connections between the ejector and asource of air-supply.

4. The combination with a chair, of an ejector, means for supportingsaid ejector directly on the chair, said means comprising a clamp memberremovably secured to the chair, a jointed arm carried by the clampmember, and a )ivoted holder for the ejector on the arm, and1connections with the ejector for a suitable anesthetizing agent.

5. In obtunding apparatus, the combination with a chair, of an ejectorhaving separate air and ether passages, a reservoir having means forremovably attaching it to the chair, said reservoir having an air-inletand a liquid-outlet, connections between said liquid-outlet and theether-passage of the IOC IIC

ejector, connections between the air-passage nesses. j

CRITTENDEN VAN WYCK.

Witnesses:

HENRY P. TRrcoU, S. H. NoURsE.

IIE

